Anyone forced to wait for something that might not arrive can relate to the Pittsford Sutherland baseball team.
Slide back to May 27, 2023, when the Knights walked off Innovative Field and pitcher Paul Byrne said they were "embarrassed" by Honeoye Falls-Lima in the Section V Class A2 Championship game. The Knights would have accepted a rematch, another chance to win the sectional championship that afternoon.
Instead, there was an entire off-season to work through, a regular season to put together strengths and shore up weaknesses, plus postseason tournament rounds to survive.
The wait for the Knights finally ended Friday, and it turned out the Section V Class A Tournament championship game was a rematch with Honeoye Falls-Lima, won by Pittsford Sutherland 8-4.
"All week I couldn't wait for the game," Sutherland sophomore Aidan Kress said.
Player of the game
Aidan Kress, Pittsford catcher. Kress drove in two runs as he finished with two hits.
Big inning
The score was 3-3 when the Knights scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kress had an RBI-single, Jaxon Bernas a two-run single and Ryan Menzinger a RBI-single.
By the numbers
118 - Pitches thrown by Byrne, according to Sutherland coach Brandon DeRosa.
1 - Run scored by the Cougars in the top of the third inning, after Jake Weber led off with a walk. A bunt moved Weber to second base and he came to home plate on a wild pitch.
2 - The size of HF-L's lead after the Cougars scored in the fourth inning.
3 - Runs scored by the Knights in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kress and Owen Osborne hit a RBI-single. A sacrifice fly by Sam Renica brought in the third run that gave Sutherland a 3-2 lead.
They said it
"We were 2-8, really struggling. We won 11 of 12 to get here. We just couldn't overcome that sixth inning," HF-L coach Dan Hoyt said as he described the 13-10 Cougars' path to the final and fate in the sectional final.
"After we lost (in 2023) said, since the first day of preseason, is come get that brick (championship trophy). As a senior, I want to go out with a bang," Pittsford Sutherland starting pitcher Paul Byrne.
"I knew we have the team to do it," Sutherland coach Brandon DeRosa said, as he talked about expectations of the Knights season to season.
"For sure (118 pitches), that's definitely up there. I would've done the job but having this many runs (after the sixth inning) sure took a little of the pressure off me. I definitely didn't have my best stuff today, but HF-L is in the championship game for a reason. They swing it well," Byrne said.
Pittsford Sutherland advanced to the Class A state tournament regional round, where the Knights play the Section VI or Buffalo region champion, 1 p.m. Saturday at Grand Island High.
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